Online retailer Amazon.com says sales from the jewellery and watches store on its website more than doubled for its first quarter in 2006, compared to data for the same period in 2005.

The retailer offers almost 60,000 styles of jewellery and watches, with each item said to be quality-checked by jewellery experts. Amazon's store enables a number of search criteria, including price – up to $10,000 – designer, or material, with the firm aiming to take a broad sweep at the market.

Amazon's statement observed a trend in customers flocking to the online store for gift purchases.

Steven Goldsmith, vice president, Amazon.com jewellery and watches, commented: "We suspect that there were a lot of very happy Valentine's Day celebrations among Amazon.com customers this year."

The success follows on from strong growth in jewellery and watch purchases in the fourth quarter of 2005.

Information compiled through Amazon.com's 'wish list' facility, where website visitors can record the items they would like to buy, showed that 2005's most wanted items were a heart pendant in silver and crystal from the Paris Hilton Collection and a Seiko men's watch.

The watch topped the list of most frequent gift purchases in 2005, along with blue topaz earrings set in sterling silver.


Ÿ Adfero Ltd